From Values to Concrete Actions: Accessibility Ambassadors Join Forces
29.09.2026
News
From Values to Concrete Actions: Accessibility Ambassadors Join Forces
Mykola Nadulichnyi, Head of the "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOPD) and an accessibility ambassador for the Lviv region, participated in the September online meeting of Ukraine’s Network of Accessibility Ambassadors. The meeting brought together Network representatives from various regions to discuss not only principles but, above all, how accessibility should function in people's real lives. A key topic was the use of "plain language" as a tool for accessible communication. Participants also specifically discussed how to translate regulations, documents, and individual decisions into practical changes that people can truly see and experience in their daily lives. During the meeting, the group began gathering proposals for a practical guide titled "The Path of a Ukrainian Accessibility Ambassador: From Values to Action" and discussed future events and ongoing collaboration within the Network. For the LAOOPD, participating in this work offers an opportunity to share practical experience while strengthening joint efforts to ensure that accessibility moves beyond a mere declared principle and becomes a standard part of community life. Accessibility begins where human needs become the foundation for concrete solutions.
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From a single training session to community-wide change
From a single training session to community-wide change: how LAOOI fosters a culture of barrier-free accessibility Barrier-free accessibility does not begin with a ramp, nor does it end with an accessible building entrance. It starts with people—with how professionals perceive another person's needs, how they communicate, how they respond to challenging situations, and the assistance they can offer. That is precisely why professional training is one of the key avenues through which the "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOI) systematically drives societal change. Recently, the LAOOI team conducted a three-day training session in Dnipro titled "Barrier-Free Accessibility in Action: Inclusion. Protection. Resilience" for healthcare professionals from the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Yet, for us, the training itself is not the only thing that matters; what follows is equally important. Each participant returns to their facility—to their patients, colleagues, and daily routine—and the knowledge gained over those three days begins to make a difference right there. This is how change happens: one trained individual alters the approach within their workplace; a team transforms the facility's operations; and dozens or hundreds of trained professionals gradually reshape the entire system. Over the course of LAOOI’s work, dozens of people have completed training on barrier-free accessibility, inclusion, and protection. These are professionals from various fields who work with people daily and can translate the knowledge they have acquired into concrete solutions within their communities. For LAOOI, therefore, each such training session represents far more than just three days of instruction and a certificate of completion. This is an investment in an environment where individuals do not have to constantly prove their right to accessibility, respect, and support. The training took place as part of the project "Integrated Protection, Health, and Inclusion for Vulnerable Newly Displaced Persons, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and Particularly Vulnerable Groups in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk Regions (Priorities 1, 2, 4)." The project is supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and implemented by the "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOI) and Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS). Removing barriers becomes a reality when knowledge translates into daily practice. And that is precisely the kind of change we strive for.
30.09.2026
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News
From Values to Concrete Actions: Accessibility Ambassadors Join Forces
From Values to Concrete Actions: Accessibility Ambassadors Join Forces Mykola Nadulichnyi, Head of the "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOPD) and an accessibility ambassador for the Lviv region, participated in the September online meeting of Ukraine’s Network of Accessibility Ambassadors. The meeting brought together Network representatives from various regions to discuss not only principles but, above all, how accessibility should function in people's real lives. A key topic was the use of "plain language" as a tool for accessible communication. Participants also specifically discussed how to translate regulations, documents, and individual decisions into practical changes that people can truly see and experience in their daily lives. During the meeting, the group began gathering proposals for a practical guide titled "The Path of a Ukrainian Accessibility Ambassador: From Values to Action" and discussed future events and ongoing collaboration within the Network. For the LAOOPD, participating in this work offers an opportunity to share practical experience while strengthening joint efforts to ensure that accessibility moves beyond a mere declared principle and becomes a standard part of community life. Accessibility begins where human needs become the foundation for concrete solutions.
29.09.2026
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Events
Barrier-Free Principles into Practice: Dnipro Hosts Three-Day Training by the LAOOI
The "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOI) recently held a three-day training session in Dnipro titled "Barrier-Free Principles in Action: Inclusion. Protection. Resilience" for representatives of local healthcare facilities in the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The three days focused on making assistance truly accessible, safe, and dignified—covering everything from the physical accessibility of spaces to effective communication and the referral of individuals to necessary services. Participants discussed barrier-free environments and non-discrimination, learned to identify physical, informational, and communication barriers, worked with practical accessibility assessment tools, and examined the principles of reasonable accommodation. Special attention was paid to a protection-oriented approach, confidentiality, informed consent, and the "do no harm" principle. A key part of the training involved working through real-life scenarios: how to respond when someone reports violence or another threat, how to prevent re-traumatization, how to establish safe referral pathways, and where to draw professional boundaries. Discussions also covered professional burnout, stress, self-regulation, and team support. The third day focused on ethical and supportive communication. Participants explored how to communicate with people following loss, displacement, or traumatic experiences—without pressure or stigma—and how to tailor communication to an individual's state and needs. They also discussed how to coordinate interactions among social, medical, educational, and administrative services and civil society organizations. Accessibility encompasses the entire journey a person takes to access help: whether they can reach the necessary location, receive clear information, be heard, avoid discrimination, and ultimately obtain the specific support they require. The training was conducted as part of the project "Integrated Protection, Health, and Inclusion for Vulnerable Newly Displaced Persons, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and Particularly Vulnerable Groups in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk Regions (Priorities 1, 2, 4)." The project is supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and implemented by the "Luhansk Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities" (LAOOI) and Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS).
28.09.2026
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